Staying warm without bill shock

Heat the rooms you use

You don’t need to warm the whole house to be comfortable. Focus on the rooms you actually spend time in, close doors to contain the heat, and let the warmth build steadily rather than blasting a heater on and off. A smaller, well-contained warm space costs far less to run than trying to heat every room at once.

Use what the home provides

Under the Healthy Homes Standards your main living area must have an efficient fixed heater, often a heat pump, which is much cheaper to run than portable electric heaters. Learn its settings and lean on it as your primary source of warmth. Plug-in heaters are handy for a quick boost but expensive as an everyday solution.

Make the most of free heat

Open curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun warm your rooms, then close them as soon as it gets dark to trap that heat in. Lined or layered curtains that sit close to the window make a noticeable difference. These no-cost habits work alongside your heating to keep rooms warmer for longer.

Seal the easy gaps

Draughts pull warm air out and cold air in. Simple, renter-friendly fixes, draught stoppers at doors, closing off unused rooms, and reporting any obvious gaps or broken seals to your landlord, keep the heat you’ve paid for inside. Combined with smart heating and natural light, these steps cut your winter power bill without sacrificing comfort.